Letters
by Vol lady
Summary: Nick and Nancy write letters to each other, until Nancy can sell her property and move to Stockton.
1. Chapter 1

Letters

Chapter 1

" _August 5, 1880_

 _Dear Nancy,_

 _Well, it's been another eventful few days here at the Barkley ranch. It seems like I'm always telling you that, doesn't it? At least this time I don't have anything in the way of bad news to pass on. It's all good news._

 _Maggie has recovered completely from the buggy accident and is up and around, but carefully. The doctor wants her to rest a lot, and he's warned her and Jarrod that she's likely to be totally bedridden for a spell before the baby is born. She's a trooper about it, though, willing to do anything as long as it's good for the baby. Jarrod has the same outlook, but frankly, being the homemaker of his marriage is something he's going to need a lot more practice at."_

"Maggie?! Do you know where the coffee is?!" Jarrod called, half awake. It was early in the morning, and Maggie woke up, uncomfortable, so they decided to rise and shine as best they could.

"Same place it always is, darling – the top part of the corner cabinet," Maggie responded as she walked gingerly from the bedroom and through the living room.

Jarrod yawned and found the coffee as Maggie sat down gently at the kitchen table. She was nowhere near able to pull up to the table anymore, but she still liked to sit there and help Jarrod prepare meals. He was pretty good at it, but first thing in the morning, he couldn't seem to remember where anything was.

They heard a rider coming up into the yard. Nick had lent them a couple ranch hands to stay overnight in case they were needed. They stayed in a small bunkhouse built in next to the stable, but they would be riding out rather than in, and they hadn't done that yet. Jarrod left the coffee to have a look out at who might be coming in so early.

"Who is it?" Maggie asked.

"It's Nick," Jarrod said and opened the front door for him.

Nick came in, carrying his hat.

"What are you doing here so early?" Jarrod asked. "Is something wrong at the house?"

"No, no, everything's fine," Nick said. "I just wanted to catch you before you went into town."

Jarrod scratched his head, remembering. "Oh, yeah, I was going to file those deeds with the land records today."

"Yeah, I figured you'd forget," Nick said. "Morning, Maggie. How are you feeling today?"

"Just fine," Maggie smiled. "Stay for coffee and Jarrod's scrambled eggs?"

"I already had Silas's scrambled eggs, and Jarrod's can't compare," Nick said, "but I will have a cup of coffee."

"Have a seat," Jarrod said.

Nick sat as his brother went back to fixing coffee.

Nick said, "Actually, I wanted to chat with the two of you about something else."

"What's that?" Maggied asked.

"Well, I don't know if you knew, but Nancy and I have been writing to each other quite a bit."

Jarrod said, "We know."

"Well, by the way, Jarrod, she's getting along really well with that lawyer you put her onto," Nick said. "Really well."

Jarrod turned and looked at him. Nick was getting jealous. It was written all over him. "What do you want to know about him?"

"Well, everything. All I know is his name."

Cy Claiborne. "I've known him for years," Jarrod said. "He's an honest, hardworking man. What else do you need to know?"

"Is he married?" Nick asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"He was the last time I heard. Why? He hasn't been improper with Nancy, has he?"

"No, no, not that I know of anyway. It just seems – well, she writes about him a lot, how much she likes how he's taken care of her, how secure she feels."

Jarrod got the coffee going and came back into sit down at the table with his brother and his wife. "Nick, you know how clients can get with their lawyers. How many clients have I had over the years – women who are alone, some married – thought they were in love with me."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Nick said.

"Why don't you go up and see her?" Maggie asked.

"Can't, I got a drive to the army in Modesto starting in a couple days," Nick said.

"Go see her when you get back," Jarrod said.

"When I get back, we'll be harvesting the peaches and pears, and then we'll need to put in the winter feed crop – "

"Nick, you can't build a relationship unless you put as much of yourself into it as you put into your ranch," Maggie said.

"Maggie's right," Jarrod said. "You have to put Nancy in there somewhere."

"I keep hoping she'll get her property sold and move to Stockton like she plans," Nick said.

"If you don't play your cards right, she may not move here," Jarrod said.

"At least write to her about it, see if she'd like you to come," Maggie said.

"Heath can handle the fruit harvest," Jarrod said. "See how Nancy feels about you coming up that way. Or are you changing your mind about her?"

"No, I'm not changing my mind," Nick said. "I'd still like her to move here so we can get to know each other better and see if we really are right for each other."

"How often have you told her that?" Maggie asked.

"Every chance I get," Nick said, smiling a little.

Jarrod got up to check on the coffee. "Then take a couple days after the drive and go see her, but ask her if it's all right first. I'll bet she jumps at it, and that'll make you feel better about going."

Nick considered it, and nodded.

"Why else did you come over this early?" Jarrod asked.

"What, I can't just visit my favorite older brother and his wife?" Nick asked, winking at Maggie.

"I'm your only older brother," Jarrod said.

"I want to go into town, too," Nick said. "Thought I'd go with you."

Jarrod hesitated a little, but said, "Sure. But I won't be able to go to the land records office until nine."

"I can wait," Nick said. "I'm seeing Sam Jenkins about him joining his herd with ours for the drive. Sam won't be in town before nine himself."

"Why don't the two of you have a good lunch and spend some time together?" Maggie suggested.

"Only if Nick gets the hands to stay here until we get back," Jarrod said. "I don't want you to be alone."

Nick got up. "I'll go talk to them now. Maybe we can catch a good poker game, too, Jarrod."

Nick headed out the door and off to the bunkhouse, where he found his two hands making their own breakfast. They didn't mind staying around The Grove for a while. There were a few chores they thought they could handle here. Nick told them to plan to stay the day, and then he went back into the house.

Coffee was ready and on the table when Nick went back in. "All set, Maggie. Jack and Lou will be here all day. They got a couple things they thought needed doing anyway."

"Good, I'll be fine," Maggie said. "You two go on, have a good day in town, spend a little time together and see if you can avoid getting into an argument."

"We don't argue," Nick said.

Both Jarrod and Maggie looked at him in disbelief.

" _All right, Nancy, Jarrod and I do argue now and then, as you well know. But we always have. He and I are both stubborn as mules and when we get our minds made up on something, we don't back away easily. But our trip into town wasn't that kind of trip. It was a time we could talk about important things and not blow up at each other."_

Jarrod and Nick rode into town together, in silence for the most part, but as they neared Stockton, Jarrod spoke up.

"It could take me a while at the records office," he said. "How long do you plan to be with Jenkins?"

"Oh, we'll met at the Cattleman's, have some coffee, chew the fat," Nick said. "Maybe an hour or so."

Jarrod hesitated, but then said, "I need to stop by Dr. Merar's after the records office."

Nick threw him a concerned look.

"No, no, I'm fine," Jarrod said. "He just likes me to check in now and then, let him know how I'm doing, how Maggie's doing. Shouldn't take me too long."

Jarrod's plan to see the doctor raised up something in Nick.

"Jarrod, I want to ask you something. I need your opinion – well, it's not just that I need your opinion. I guess I need your permission, too – "

"Spit it out, Nick," Jarrod said. "You're starting to ramble."

Nick sighed. "It's about your heart. We've talked a little about it before, and Heath and I did talk to Dr. Merar about it. It's about the chance that what you have is hereditary."

"What did he say?" Jarrod asked, somewhat solemnly.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Nick said. "But the point right now is – Nancy and I are getting closer all the time. I don't think I want it to go a lot farther without her knowing we might have this thing running around in the family."

"What do you want my opinion about?"

"Whether you think I ought to mention it to her yet."

"And what do you want my permission about?"

"Whether I can tell her about you. It's hard to tell her about what might happen to me without mentioning what's happening to you."

" _So, Nancy, Jarrod thought it might be a good idea I let you know about this thing now, and he told me it was all right to talk to you about it. I feel like we're getting closer, even if it's only on paper so far, but you should know something before you decide if you want to move to Stockton and see where you and I might go from here._

 _You see, Jarrod has a problem. He has a bad heart, and he's suffering from pain at times that gets pretty nasty. And his heart will probably kill him someday. He'll probably leave us years before he ought to. We're all making our peace with that, but where you come in is this. Our father had a similar problem, and it's possible that Jarrod inherited his illness from him. Which means it's possible that I have inherited it, too._

 _I just want you to know that, as you make your plans. I'm not suffering from anything yet, and the doctor says it may never happen to me. We just don't know."_

"Are you ready for Nancy to break everything off if you tell her about me?" Jarrod asked after he had given Nick his permission to tell her.

"Better now than later, I guess," Nick said. Then he looked over at his older brother, riding beside him. "Am I being responsible, Jarrod, or am I being too cautious?"

Jarrod shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't face this with Maggie. She saw my symptoms and remembered them from her first husband. She knew what was going on before I brought it up. But Nick, I'd say you have to do what you think is right, and when you think it's right."

Nick thought about it and nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

" _August 11, 1880_

 _Dear Nick,_

 _I got your most recent letter. I've thought a lot about it, about what you told me about Jarrod and about your father and yourself._

 _First, I can't tell you how sorry I am that Jarrod is ill. He is such a wonderful man, and he helped me so much in making up my mind about my future. This has got to be so terrible for you and your family, and especially for Maggie. I wish there was something more I could say, but I know words won't help him any. I am sorry for what he and the rest of you are going through._

 _I understand how concerned you must be that his condition is something you might inherit, too…."_

Nick had reached for Nancy's letter the moment he got home from the drive to Modesto, but he quit reading and put it aside when he got to that point. He had second thoughts about telling her what was happening to Jarrod almost as soon as he sent his letter off to her. He was nervous about getting her response, and now that he had it, he wasn't sure he could just sit there and read it.

It wasn't just Nancy, he realized after he wrote her on the fifth. It was any woman he might want to become really close to. If Nancy backed away, what was to say that every other woman after her wouldn't back away? He knew he could never keep it a secret long enough to let a woman fall seriously in love with him. That wouldn't be fair at all, and in the end, it would come back on him for sure.

He silently cursed his father and cursed his brother for having a bad heart, but it only took a few strong beats of his own heart to apologize to them. It wasn't their fault. God knew Jarrod didn't want these lousy cards he was dealt. Being angry with him for having his condition made about as much sense as being angry with him for being born in the first place.

But Nick knew he couldn't avoid looking at Nancy's letter forever. He had told her because he wanted to know if it would affect their relationship. He had to know if it did or didn't.

He picked her letter up again.

" _I understand how concerned you must be that his condition is something you might inherit, too, but Nick, don't go borrowing trouble. If you don't have any symptoms yet, that's all that matters. Now is all that matters, not what might happen even tomorrow. Remember, we women have to face something like that all the time – a lot of us die in childbirth. We have to decide if we want children enough to risk death. You have to decide if you want to be in love, even knowing someone you might choose might turn away from you because of what MAY happen to you._

 _That being said, of course, it's something we have to think about, but it does not change my plan to sell my ranch up here and move to Stockton. Whatever happens between you and me, I want to come to live in Stockton, where there are people to meet and things to do. I want to come and get to know you better, just as we talked about. The rest will work itself out, however it does, and I plan to be happy in Stockton no matter what."_

When Nick told Jarrod about writing Nancy, and about what she wrote back, Jarrod shook his head. "Nick, you'd better marry that girl – and do it while I'm still well enough to walk you down the aisle and give you away."

Nick snorted a laugh, which made Jarrod laugh. And they both realized it was the first time they had laughed together about Jarrod's illness. But it seemed appropriate. Nick threw his arm around his big brother's neck and pulled him close, still laughing.

XXXXXX

" _August 12, 1880_

 _Dear Nancy,_

 _I know I'm writing back pretty quickly, but I was so happy to get your letter. Happy and relieved, actually. I was afraid you'd run away the minute I told you about Jarrod's illness and what it might mean for me. I can't tell you how happy I am that you're still planning to move to Stockton and to let me get to know you better._

 _I've been thinking about where you might live when you come here. We have a ladies' boarding house which I understand is very nice. I could look into that for you, or I could look into a room elsewhere or even a small house, if you think that would suit you better….."_

Nick and Heath rode into town together at the end of a long day, supposedly for a good beer, a good dinner and a good card game, but as soon as they rode into town, Nick confessed to his other interest.

"I want to check out the ladies' boarding house," Nick told his brother.

"You wanna do WHAT?" Heath blurted out, taking Nick's statement for something other than what he meant.

"It's for Nancy," Nick said quickly, with a tone that said he understood what Heath was thinking and he couldn't believe Nick would think that. "One of these days soon, she's going to need the information."

"So you really think she's going to move here," Heath said.

"Yeah, she said so in her last letter."

"You still feel the same about her?"

"No," Nick said, and smiled. "I feel even better."

Heath chuckled. "Guess I better be getting my monkey suit out of mothballs again."

"Could be," Nick said.

"But I'll tell you what, Nick. I'm gonna leave the ladies' boarding house to you. I'll see you over at the saloon when you're done."

Heath turned his horse away from where Nick was heading and went straight for the saloon.

Nick knew he'd have to hurry – it would be getting dark soon, and he didn't want to approach Mrs. Callum, the woman who ran the boarding house, too late. He tied his horse up at the hitching rail, stepped up on the porch, and knocked.

Nick had taken his hat off by the time Mrs. Callum opened the door to him. She was generally a friendly woman, but she did look a little quizzical this late in the day. "Mr. Barkley. I'm surprised to see you. Are you meeting one of the ladies this evening?"

"No, ma'am," Nick said. "I actually wanted to see you."

"Me?"

"It's about a young lady I know who wants to move to Stockton. She has no family and I'm looking to find a place for her to live."

"Well, I don't have any openings right now," Mrs. Callum said. "When do you think she'll be coming?"

"Well, I'm not sure. Her father died a while back and she's still trying to sell the family ranch up near Sacramento. She won't be coming here until she's settled that."

"Well, why don't you come talk to me when she's more certain she's coming? I may have an opening then, and if I don't, maybe I can help her locate something else suitable in town."

"Thank you, I'll do that. Good night, Mrs. Callum."

"Good night, Mr. Barkley."

Nick put his hat back on and rode his horse to the saloon where Heath was. He found his younger brother already engaged in a poker game, a beer and a beautiful saloon girl by his side. Nick came in, stood behind Heath and looked at his hand. It was awful, but Heath was running a bluff.

And he won the pot when the last other player folded. Heath raked in his money and said, "That didn't take long."

"Hmm," Nick said. "Got room here for me?"

One of the other players pulled out a vacant chair for him. Nick sat down, and the girl who was beside Heath went to get him a beer.

They played and drank beer until ten o'clock rolled around. At that point, Heath was up about 20 dollars, Nick was down about 30.

"Well, hate to call it a night when I'm still down, but we got a long few days ahead of us, Heath," Nick said and got up.

"You're probably right," Heath said.

They took their empty beer mugs to the bar, where the girl who had spent much of the evening at Heath's side was waiting for Harry, the bartender, to draw more beer for the others in the poker game. Heath threw an arm around her and kissed her a big one on the mouth.

"Mmmm," she said, enjoying it. "You coming back soon?"

"Gonna be a few days," Heath said.

"I'll be here," she said.

Nick and Heath went out together and mounted up. "Feeling all hugs and kisses tonight, huh?" Nick asked his brother.

"I made money," Heath said. "Besides, I haven't met me a Nancy yet."

Nick chuckled. "We'll have to work on that, little brother. No man should spend his life alone."

Heath could agree with that.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

" _August 20, 1880_

 _Dear Nick,_

 _Thank you for looking into housing for me once I come to Stockton, but it appears I'm going to be a little longer in working things out here than I planned. One of the neighboring ranchers has shown some interest in buying my property, but he's been dragging his feet a bit and hasn't yet come up with an offer that Mr. Claiborne and I think is a good one._

 _I was hoping to be finished here and down in Stockton by early October, but unless things change suddenly, it'll be more like Thanksgiving before I get there. That would be nice, actually. I'd have a lot to be thankful for….."_

Nick sighed and frowned when he read that Nancy would not be coming by October. He seriously thought about riding up to her place, grabbing that Claiborne fellow by the shirt front and shaking him into getting into action for her, but even Nick realized that wasn't the way to impress a lovely woman like Nancy.

" _I'm glad we have put the issue about your possible heart disease behind us for now. Hopefully for good, because frankly, I don't believe it's a problem you will ever have to face. Heaven knows it's hard enough to have a brother who's facing it. You know I hold Jarrod in very high esteem. Once I am down in Stockton, if there is anything I can do to help Jarrod and Maggie when they need it, I hope you know I'll do it, regardless of how you and I end up feeling about one another."_

Nick smiled, and almost cried. Not just because he had to face the truth about Jarrod head on again, but because this lovely woman offered to help in any way she could, when she didn't have to offer. He was understanding more and more how "lovely" and "beautiful" differed, and how lucky he was that Nancy was interested in him.

And falling in love with him? Because he sure was falling in love with her.

" _As for living arrangements once I get there, thank you so much for checking into things. I don't think a ladies' boarding house is for me, but I'm not sure, really. It might be nice to have people around me all the time, rather than just live in a room by myself somewhere. Anyway, please tell Mrs. Callum that I will likely be coming in November, so if she gets an opening near that time I'd like to arrange to take it. It's worth a try anyway, right?"_

 _Right_ , Nick thought to himself. _Anything you want is right._

" _August 31, 1880_

 _Dear Nancy,_

 _I was so happy to get your letter of August 20, although I am pretty sorry that you won't be able to come to Stockton as early as you'd hoped. I am wondering how you would feel if I came up there for a visit in September? I could use a break from the ranch work – things have been pretty crazy for the past couple months, as I wrote you about. What do you think? May I visit with you for a couple days – no strings attached?_

 _In the meantime, I will tell Mrs. Callum about your interest in the boarding house. I'll also do a little more nosing around, in case she doesn't have an opening by Thanksgiving._

 _I would be very thankful to have you arrive by then, too. You would enjoy a Barkley Thanksgiving, I think. Jarrod was in the army when President Lincoln declared the holiday we now know as Thanksgiving Day, and Heath and I were in the army right after that. One of the things we declare our thanks for, as a family, is that we all survived and came home safe, if a bit banged up._

 _Meanwhile, back here in Stockton, things have gotten interesting for our boy Heath….."_

Heath was alone in Stockton, picking up supplies, the first time he saw her. She was smiling broadly at the clerk of the supply store, coming out with a bolt of fabric and a small paper bag of some other supplies. Maybe five foot four with shining red hair, Heath immediately thought that he was going to have to express an interest in this young woman before Nick decided he would forget about Nancy and went for the new girl in town.

Heath took off his hat and stepped right up to her as she turned away from the clerk. "Good morning," he said as she stopped, a bit startled. "My name is Heath Barkley. I was wondering if I could help you carry that bolt of fabric home. You got your arms full."

She gave him a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Barkley, that's very kind of you. I live about three blocks away."

Heath put his hat back on and took the bolt of fabric from her. "I haven't seen you around town before. Are you new here?"

"Yes," she said. "I just came to live with my aunt and uncle. My name is Suzanne Pearson."

"Pearson – are Louise and Steven Pearson your aunt and uncle?"

"Yes, do you know them?"

"Sure do. I've shared a poker game with your uncle twice a month or so for a couple years." Then he thought about what he'd just said. "I hope that doesn't upset you."

"No, not at all. In fact, he's teaching me how to play. My aunt and I are planning to get a ladies game up once a month or so."

Heath laughed. "A ladies' game. Now that's a good idea if I ever heard one. My mother will be interested in that."

"She plays poker?"

"She taught me some of the best moves I know."

"… _.Her name is Suzanne Pearson, and she's about your age. She lives with her aunt and uncle, and when you get here, I'll arrange an introduction. She seems like the type of person you'd enjoy having as a friend. Anyway, she and Heath have been seeing each other for a week or so, and already he's got his head in the clouds over her._

" _Maggie is doing just fine, but the doctor has ordered her to take it very easy until the baby comes. It's going to be one big baby, but the doctor doesn't want it to come early, and neither do any of us. Maggie's taking all this very well, even though I'm not so sure about Jarrod….."_

Victoria gave her oldest son an ultimatum. "You have two choices – either Audra or I stays here with you at all times, or you hire a live-in housekeeper. Either way, you're going to need a bed in the nursery and a chifferobe, too."

"Mother, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my wife – " Jarrod said.

"And cooking and cleaning and dishes, too? I don't think so. You were nearly sixteen before I broke you of leaving your shoes in the middle of the floor."

"That was twenty years ago, Mother – "

"Jarrod, I've told you how it's going to be. If you want a safe delivery and a healthy baby, you'd better listen to what I've said and do one thing or the other."

Jarrod sighed. "I'd prefer to have you and Audra – and not because of the money – but because I'd rather have one of you around. I'm getting pretty nervous."

Victoria smiled. "Nervous about the delivery, or nervous about being a father?"

"Both," Jarrod admitted. "I don't know how to make it through either one."

"You'll be fine, dear, and Audra and I have already figured out that you'd want us. She's coming over this afternoon and she'll be here overnight, and I'll come in the morning and take the day shift. In the meantime I'm going to have one of the beds and chifferobes brought over from the house. We'll all be perfectly comfortable, and that includes Maggie."

"Thank you!" came a loud call from the lady in question, stuck in bed in the bedroom.

Jarrod laughed and hung his head. Victoria went into the bedroom and smiled at her daughter-in-law.

Maggie said, "I was worried sick about Jarrod. You've taken a load off my mind."

"Don't worry," Victoria said. "He'll get this delivery and fatherhood thing straight in time. You just rest yourself and have a strong and healthy baby."

"Oh, he's already strong," Maggie said. "Kicks like crazy most of the time. I suspect that's why Dr. Merar thinks he might come early."

"They come when they're ready, but I'm glad he's trying to get you to hold on for a while longer. Don't worry. We'll all do fine."

"Thank you," Maggie said again, with a relieved sigh.

"Yes," Jarrod said from the doorway, put his arm around his mother's waist and kissed her cheek, "Thank you, Mother."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

" _September 10, 1880_

 _Dear Nick,_

 _I'm thrilled to hear that Heath is interested in someone and I'm really looking forward to meeting her. And I'm sorry Maggie is having to spend so much time in bed, but from what I understand, that's not all that unusual with an older first time mother. With your mother and Audra taking care of her and Jarrod, I'm sure they'll be fine._

 _And now for my news. We finally seem to be getting down to business with my neighbor about buying my property. We're not there yet, mind you, but at least he's talking to Mr. Claiborne and things are moving. I'm beginning to thin things out around here – I can't take all of it with me when I move, after all._

 _And yes, I would love to have you visit soon, and not just to help me clean out my house. Just let me know when, and if you can't let me know, just turn up. It worked out pretty well the first time, didn't it?"_

Nick chuckled when he read the last line, and then he began to make plans. Getting Heath to take over everything for a few days wasn't a serious problem, and his mother was not concerned he was going. In fact, she was happy about it. Nick left for Nancy's place the day after her letter arrived, and he reached her home on September 19, 1880.

He beamed when she came to the door, maybe because she was smiling ear to ear and he took it as an invitation that she seemed to be in favor of. He kissed her, a polite kiss to be sure, but a kiss.

And she let her hands linger on his arms, so he let his hands linger on hers.

"It's so good to see you!" she said happily. "Come in, come in, have some coffee."

It was late afternoon and Nick was eager as heck for a cup of coffee. "Don't mind if I do."

"Sit down on the sofa, I'll bring you a cup."

Nick sat, and remembered exactly how comfortable he had always been in this house. It seemed a bit different, though, and he realized it was because some of the little things – photographs, trinkets – were not there anymore. "You've done some packing," he said.

"Some," Nancy said and brought him coffee, then sat beside him on the sofa. "I still have so much to do, and it's kind of hard to decide what to keep, what to throw away, what to try to sell. It's the hardest thing I've ever done."

"Well, I'm here for three days, all yours, ready to help," Nick said.

"Well, let's not start yet," Nancy laughed. And her eyes sparkled. "Nick, you look so good. That cattle drive must have agreed with you."

"We didn't have even a single problem. Got a good sale, everybody involved was happy with the deal. Can't do any better than that."

"And how is everyone at home?"

"Pretty well. Maggie's getting pretty close to having that baby, so everybody's getting really excited."

"I'll bet. I'm excited, too, and I'm forty miles away."

"Don't worry. I'll let you know as soon as I'm an uncle." Then he thought about that. "I really am going to be an uncle."

"You'll be good with the baby. I can tell."

Nick looked at Nancy's sparkling eyes and couldn't help shaking his head and smiling. "I've really missed you. I can't wait for you to move to Stockton."

Nick touched her face, and it made her smile more. He leaned in and kissed her again, warmer this time, less polite. Nancy enjoyed it.

XXXXXXX

Nick did not make a move on Nancy, even though every bit of him wanted to. He slept on the sofa, as he had done before, and he slept well, so well that it was the smell of coffee he woke up to.

"You snuck right by me again," he said, remembering the last time he'd been here, and sat up on the sofa.

Nancy smiled. "I'm as quiet as a mouse, or so my father used to say. I put a clean towel on the back of the sofa there."

Nick saw it. He excused himself to use the room out back, and soon he was back inside. Nancy was cooking breakfast in the kitchen, so he left his shaving for later and just washed his hands and face at the kitchen sink.

"Come sit and eat," Nancy said.

Nick joined her at the table. Bacon and eggs and coffee and biscuits and Nick was in heaven. "You cook so well, my stomach has never been happier. What do you need me to do for you today?"

Nancy sighed. "I really hadn't thought about it."

"What were you going to do?"

"Well, I have a lot of things packed in the barn that I was going to take into the church at Sutter Creek. It'll take all day to load up and go to town and unload."

"Maybe it'll go a little quicker with a big, strapping man like me to help you."

Nancy laughed. "Just – do me a favor? Don't let on you spent the night here. You know how small town busybodies can talk."

Nick nodded. "No problem. And I promise, I'll resist kissing you in public."

But he leaned over and kissed her in private.

XXXXX

It still took all day to take the wagonload of boxes into town, get them unloaded and unpacked, and get back to the little ranch. They made it just before the sky began to darken.

And they were bushed. Nick flopped himself down on the sofa while Nancy got some dinner together. It was simple – some cold beef and biscuits, and some apples and cream, all with coffee.

Nick patted his happy belly when he was finished. "I could eat that every night I'm here."

Nancy laughed. "Good, because you're going to."

On an impulse, Nick grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down on the sofa with him. She laughed out loud.

And then they were in each other's arms, kissing, not laughing.

Nick said, "Nancy, I'm in love with you. Can I even hope you're in love with me?"

Nancy leaned over and kissed him. "I am in love with you."

Nick kissed her again, but then he hesitated. He knew what he wanted, but if he was wrong about her wanting it, and he made a move, or if he even asked -

Nancy unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and moved her hand inside to touch his chest. "You'll have to be gentle with me. I've never done anything like this before."

Nick smiled. "Then let me show you how a man who loves you treats you well."

XXXXXXX

Heath hitched his horse to the hitching rail outside the Pearson home. Since the dance was to be in the basement of the church that was only three blocks away, he would have no need for transportation until it was time to go home, so he planned to leave his horse there. He pulled a flower out of the saddlebag and walked up to the Pearson's door, and knocked.

Steve Pearson – a large man about 20 years Heath's senior, answered the door. "Evening, Steve," Heath said.

"Hello, Heath, come on in," Steve said.

Heath entered, saw Steve's wife Louise coming in from the kitchen, and took his hat off. "Evening, Louise."

"Hello, Heath," she said. "Suzanne is just about ready."

"Have a seat," Steve said.

Heath sat down in the parlor area, and both the Pearsons sat as well.

"So," Steve said, "whoever would have thought you'd be courting our niece, huh? After all those poker games we've played, and all the money you owe me."

"Naw, I don't owe you that much," Heath said. "I hear you're planning on getting a ladies' game together, Louise."

"It's just about organized," Louise said. "We'll have to do it in the ladies' homes, of course. The saloon is still off limits to us."

"I don't think you'll get the men to give up the saloon even one night a week, darling," Steve said.

"We weren't planning to try," Louise said.

"How are things out at the ranch these days, Heath?" Steve asked.

"Not too bad," Heath said. "Waiting for Maggie to have that first Barkley grandchild."

"I'll bet your mother is on pins and needles," Louise said.

"Not as much as Jarrod is," Heath said with a grin. "Maggie is all relaxed and such, but Jarrod is getting more and more nervous every day."

"How about Uncle Heath?" Steve asked.

Heath laughed. "Uncle Heath is as ready to be Uncle Heath as he's ever going to be."

Suzanne appeared coming down the stairs. Heath stood up quickly, as did the Pearsons. Heath was smiling more.

Suzanne was dressed in a pretty blue dress with darker blue ribbons in her hair. She was a lovely sight, smiling nervously as she approached Heath and her aunt and uncle. Heath held the flower he was carrying up to her – a red rose. "May I pin this on you? It's straight from Mother's garden."

Suzanne nodded, and Heath did the pinning, without drawing any blood.

"Now, I don't want you bringing my niece home too late," Steve warned.

"We'll be timely, and we're only going three blocks away," Suzanne said.

Steve showed them to the door and held it open for them. Heath wished them a good evening, and he and Suzanne went out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

" _September 22, 1880_

 _Dearest Nancy,_

 _My little plan is that you find this letter after I have left to go back to the ranch. I wanted you to have a remembrance of our all too brief time together, in the hopes that it would make you think of me often before we are together again._

 _I hope that you don't think I have taken advantage of you and now will forget all about you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am more and more eager for you to come to Stockton for good, so that I can court you properly and all of Stockton will know how much I love you._

 _It's what I want most in the world, you know."_

Nick struggled with writing the letter in secret, while Nancy was busy making breakfast. What he wanted to do was to hide it under her pillow so that maybe she would find it when she went to bed, and she would think of him.

Crazy, romantic thing to do from a man who was not normally that romantic, but Nancy made him feel romantic. He finally knew now what his brother Jarrod seemed to know all along, what it was like to really be in love with a woman, how to know the difference between a woman who was merely beautiful and one who was truly lovely. Now he knew how wise it was to wait until he found that truly lovely woman. Now he knew what it was like to be transformed into a real man.

He tucked the letter under Nancy's pillow and went out to the kitchen. Nancy was finishing the eggs at the stove. Nick came up behind her, put his arms around her, and kissed her on the neck.

Nancy smiled. "You're going to make me burn the eggs," she said.

"No, no, can't have that," Nick said. "I'm told I'm the biggest eater in Stockton, you know."

"I wouldn't be surprised. There's coffee on the table. I'll bring these right over."

Nick went to the kitchen table and sat down. Coffee, bacon and biscuits were already there. He began to butter up a biscuit, and soon Nancy brought the eggs on a plate and sat down.

"You are a terrific cook, you know that?" Nick said as he dug into the bacon and eggs.

"I've had lots of practice," Nancy said. "So, Nick, I guess the next time we see each other it will be in Stockton."

Nick smiled. "I wish it could be tomorrow."

"Me, too," Nancy said.

"I'll be waiting, whenever it is."

Nancy said, "It'll be in October, November at the latest. Are you sure you'll wait?"

"I'm sure," Nick said.

They ate fairly quickly, because Nick wanted to get home in one day, even if he was late arriving. His saddlebags were ready, and as soon as they had eaten and he took care of himself and saddled his horse, he was ready to go.

That didn't mean he rushed off, though. They shared long happy kisses together inside the front door. Nick said, sincerely, "I will be there waiting whenever you come."

"I will be there as fast as I can," Nancy said.

After more kisses but no more words, Nick left the house, mounted up and rode away. Nancy watched, waving, until he was out of sight. Heaving a sigh, she went back into the house. It seemed so empty now, but the scent of him was still there, in the bedclothes. She curled up on top of the quilt and drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXX

A few hours after Nick left Nancy's place, Heath drove a wagon into Stockton for supplies. Leaving it for the storekeeper to load, Heath headed straight for the Pearson home. His hat in his hand, he knocked, and Suzanne answered the door.

She beamed. "Heath! I didn't expect to see you today!"

"I needed to come to town for some supplies," Heath said. "You can't run a ranch without nails."

Suzanne laughed and came out onto the porch. "I'd invite you in, but I'm the only one home, and Aunt Louise would have a fit."

"Why don't we take a walk, then?"

Heath offered Suzanne his arm, and she took it. They headed town the street together, a quiet residential street off the main road into town. Not a lot of traffic to stir up the dust.

"I've been meaning to ask," Heath said. "What brought you to live with your aunt and uncle?"

"Oh, well, that's a bit complicated," Suzanne said. "My father is Uncle Steve's brother. My mother died about a year ago, and my father – well, he took it very hard. Things fell apart for him. He was a banker in Denver, but – well, to be honest, he couldn't handle the job anymore. He sent me to live out here because he couldn't deal with anything anymore. I resisted for months, but finally, he just forced me away."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you write to him?"

"I do, but he doesn't write back, or at least he hasn't so far. Uncle Steve has written him, too, but he hasn't gotten an answer either. I don't know. If he can ever get himself together again, maybe I'll hear from him. I miss him. I love him. But I can't – "

She stopped. Heath knew not to press. He just said, "I know how it is to be without your father. Mine died before I ever got to know him."

"So I understand," Suzanne said. "You know, it's no big secret around here how you came to the Barkleys. Uncle Steve has said to me, 'now there's a man with ethics and integrity, that Heath Barkley, and a family with guts and justice in hand, taking him in the way they did.' He admires you all."

"That's good to hear," Heath said. "Not everybody does."

"I imagine it's been hard for you."

"At times, but not so much. When I came here I found a family who really wants me. My mother – Mrs. Barkley – she's one of the most remarkable women I've ever met. She's the one who fought the most to get me and keep me in the family."

"You haven't thought about leaving, have you?"

"Actually, once or twice in the beginning I did, but not in years. I could never turn my back on my family now, not for anything. I could never do anything to hurt my mother."

Suzanne squeezed Heath's arm.

The gesture made Heath think of something. "Why don't I come get you this evening and bring you out to the ranch for dinner? Mother would love to have you. Nick may or may not be there, I don't know. He's gone out of town. But it would be nice to have you there."

"Are you sure it would be all right with no notice?"

"It would be fine. Silas always cooks up a boatload of food."

"Well, I'll check with Aunt Louise and see if it's all right with her."

Heath looked up the street. "Isn't that her coming now?"

Suzanne's aunt was coming toward them, about a block away, carrying a basket of groceries. Suzanne smiled. "Tell you what. Why don't you ask her? She'd be impressed."

Heath smiled, and when he and Suzanne reached her Aunt Louise, that was exactly what he did. And Aunt Louise was very impressed at his manners, and of course, she said yes.

Suzanne decided to return home with her aunt, and Heath decided he needed to go get the supplies and head home.

"I'll pick you up at about five, okay?" he asked.

Suzanne nodded and went off with her aunt. Heath watched her go, watched how she took her aunt's arm with a squeeze. They almost looked more like two sisters walking away together. Heath felt bad about Suzanne's father, but he knew she was lucky to find her aunt and uncle, and he knew he was lucky to find her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Nick pushed himself and his horse and made it home just after the family had sit down for dinner. He went into the dining room, assuming he'd find his mother and Heath, but was startled to find Suzanne as well.

"Well, look who wandered in," Heath said.

"We didn't expect you home tonight," Victoria said.

"How did your visit with Nancy go?" Heath asked.

Nick smiled. "Very nice indeed. She expects to be moved to Stockton by November at the latest, at which time I will court her properly."

"Do take the dust upstairs now," Victoria said.

"Oh, yeah," Nick said. "Be back in a few minutes."

Nick had left his saddlebags in the foyer, so he picked them up and took them upstairs with him. Once in his room, he decided to unpack them first and pulled out his dirty laundry from one side, then reached into the other side – and pulled out a sheet of folded paper.

He knew right away what it was and smiled. He opened it.

" _Dearest Nick,_

 _Having you here with me was a Godsend. Trying to deal with everything I've had to deal with since my father died – well, I haven't said much, but it's been a strain. I needed a smiling face near me to make me smile again. Thank you for making me smile again._

 _Being apart from you now will be hard for me to take, but I will keep writing and hope you will, too, until I am there in Stockton and beginning my new life._

 _I love you,_

 _Nancy"_

Nick reread it twice, smiling even more each time.

He finally got around to cleaning up and changing his clothes, and by the time he got down to the table, Victoria, Heath and Suzanne were finished eating.

Nick sat down to his mother's left, across from Heath and Suzanne.

Heath said, "We were just talking about Nancy."

"I can't wait to meet her," Suzanne said.

"You'll like her," Nick said, digging into some food, which was a little cool, but he was too hungry to care. "She's about your age, moving here after losing her father."

"So Heath told me," Suzanne said. "It looks like we'll have a bit in common."

"Oh, I didn't know you lost your father recently."

"A different kind of loss. After my mother died, my father lost himself. He hasn't been able to deal with it."

Nick and Heath looked at each other, remembering the same thing – how Jarrod lost himself after his first wife died. But something in Heath's look made Nick understand that he hadn't talked about Beth with Suzanne, so they let that memory lie there without talking about it.

Victoria noticed their expressions and knew what they were thinking about, but she left it alone, too. "Suzanne was saying she's hoping to find work at one of the shops in town."

"I feel like I need to be contributing something to my new family," Suzanne said. "I need to earn my keep."

"There are plenty of shops to choose from," Nick said. "I'm sure you'll find work before too long."

Heath pulled away from the table a bit. "Would you like to take a little walk before I drive you home?"

"Yes, I would," Suzanne said.

Heath stood and pulled her chair at for her as she stood. "Excuse us," Heath said and offered his arm to Suzanne.

Victoria smiled as they left. "They make a lovely couple."

 _There's that word again – lovely_ , Nick thought. "They do," he said. "Do you think they're getting serious?"

"Oh, it's a little too early to tell," Victoria said. "How about you and Nancy? Did your visit draw you any closer?"

Nick smiled. "Yeah, it did," and he wasn't thinking just about the physical closeness, even if his mother was surreptitiously asking. "When she comes down here, I plan to monopolize her time and be married to her by this time next year."

Victoria straightened in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"I am," Nick said. "She's exactly what I want in a wife, Mother. Everything I ever wanted but wasn't grown up enough to know it."

Victoria sighed, smiling. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I'm really glad to hear that!"

Nick laughed and finished eating. "And who knows? Maybe by this time next year, all your children will be happily married."

"Oh, my goodness," Victoria said. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"You're beyond ready," Nick said, wiping his mouth. "One grandchild isn't gonna be enough for you for long. This house needs a bucketful of them running around you, and you know it."

Victoria smiled. "I'm just glad YOU finally know it, Nick."

Nick smiled. "You know what? I'm glad I finally know it, too."

XXXXXXXX

Heath led Suzanne out the front door, into the soft light coming from the lamps on the porch and from inside the house. He looked at the sky – the stars were beautiful. They stepped down into the yard together and began to stroll toward the stable.

"I really enjoyed the evening, Heath," Suzanne said. "Thank you for inviting me."

"I hope you'll come more often," Heath said.

"You know, I'm beginning to think I'm being officially courted."

"Only beginning to think it? I've been thinking it since the first time I saw you carrying that bolt of fabric."

"Really?"

"Why does that surprise you?"

Suzanne laughed a little. "I don't know. Oh, I've been courted before, but – I don't know. It wasn't quite like this."

"How is this different?" Heath asked.

"It's far more comfortable. You're far more easy to be with. Maybe it's partly because you already knew my aunt and uncle, or maybe it's just because you seem a lot more confident with yourself."

"Or maybe it's because you were courted by younger men before who didn't know who they were yet."

"Maybe," Suzanne said. "It actually has been a while since I was courted."

"So tell me what it was like."

Suzanne laughed. "The last boy who courted me – and he was a boy, we were both nineteen – he was so stiff and even stuffy. I saw him about five times, but I think I knew he wasn't right for me after the first time."

"Why did you keep seeing him?"

"He was the son of a friend of my mother's. I felt an obligation, I guess. My mother sort of ran the roost. Her people were French. You did what Mother said, and if you didn't, she gave you a whole list of reasons why you should and made you listen to every one. And tough? My goodness, she was once in a dry goods store when two men got into a fight. Mother picked up a frying pan and brained the one she thought was at fault."

Heath laughed. "My gosh. Did she get away with that?"

"The sheriff had a long talk with her and Father. I think Mother won that discussion, too. It's no wonder my father is lost without her. She was the one who ran everything, especially him."

"What about you? Do you rule the roost?"

"I don't think so. I sure couldn't step in as the ruler of the roost for my father. But I guess I don't really know. Have I been too bossy with you?"

"Not yet," Heath laughed. "But you'll have to watch out for me."

"How so?"

"I'm told that I'm the kind who quietly gets what he wants."

"Ah, sneaky, are you?"

"No. Just confident and comfortable."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

" _September 24, 1880_

 _Dearest Nancy,_

 _I thought I'd write and let you know I made it home okay._

 _Yesterday got a bit crazy, so I wasn't able to write. Maggie sent one of the hands over first thing in the morning. Jarrod was having a particularly bad day already with his heart. He was having trouble breathing. She sent for the doctor, and Mother and I went over there to do whatever we could do…"_

"You really didn't need to run over here," Jarrod said as he made his way gingerly from the kitchen table, where he had just eaten, to the sofa. His breathing was noisy but according to Maggie, not as noisy as it had started out for him that morning.

It was just after he sat down on the sofa that the doctor arrived. Dr. Merar wore his normal happy doctor face as he came in, saying, "So, what's going on here?"

"Jarrod's having trouble breathing," Audra said. She had spent the night with them and noticed more than once during the night that he was wheezing loudly.

"It's easing off," Jarrod said immediately.

Dr. Merar came over and sat beside him on the sofa. "Let me have a listen," he said and took out his stethoscope. He had Jarrod breathe in and out for him as he listened to each lung. Then he put his stethoscope away, saying, "You are a bit more noisy than you were." He looked at Jarrod's hands and then had him remove his slippers so he could look at his feet.

Jarrod's family looked on with great concern that, frankly, embarrassed him, and even more frankly angered him. This was not the way he wanted them to look at him, even though he knew that they would. He was angry with them, he was angry with his disease, but mostly he was angry with himself. He should have been able to handle this without the doctor being called.

Dr. Merar hauled a bottle of pills out of his bag. "This has diuretic properties," he said. "Take one every day and it'll get some of this water off you, let you breathe easier. Plan to spend a lot of time at the outhouse."

"I'm glad we've got indoor plumbing," Jarrod said and took the bottle of pills.

"You've still got some miles to go, Jarrod," Dr. Merar said, standing up and smiling at his family. "Those pills will make it easier for you."

"He'll be all right?" Maggie asked.

Dr. Merar nodded. "Just don't let him spend too much time out in the dust."

"Sounds like I'll be spending too much time in the lavatory for that," Jarrod said. "Doctor, while you're here – I've been planning to ask you something. Best I ask it while Nick is here. He's been a bit concerned that what I have I inherited from our father."

"It's possible," Dr. Merar said. "It's also possible you didn't, and even if you did, it doesn't mean Nick or Heath has inherited it. I've told them that."

"But why I have I gotten it so young?" Jarrod asked. "Whether it's inherited or not – I'm not even 40. My father was in his 60s before he had symptoms."

Everyone looked uncomfortable with his question. Dr. Merar decided it was best he take Jarrod's lead and answer the question honestly. "I don't know, but I've had a suspicion for a while. Jarrod, a few years ago, you did your body a lot of harm when you went after the man who killed your first wife. I had a look at you when your brothers brought you home. You know I didn't like what I saw."

Jarrod nodded. "You read me the riot act about letting myself get so rundown."

"You were worse than rundown. You almost killed yourself. You did yourself a lot of damage. I can't prove this as a medical fact, but I think you did yourself so much damage that you brought your heart disease symptoms on years earlier than they otherwise would have come. I know you don't want to hear that, Jarrod, but you asked me always to be honest with you. And Nick, that might be some comfort to you, and a warning."

"Don't do what I did," Jarrod said quietly.

"I already learned that lesson," Nick said.

Jarrod reached for Maggie. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

Maggie just smiled and shook her head. "Spilled milk, my love."

" _So we got things under control again, thank heaven. I do love that man, Nancy. What he's going through is torturing all of us. I can only imagine what he's having to endure._

 _Which brings up this old subject we've already talked about, but knowing I could end up the way Jarrod is going – are you sure you want to have anything to do with me? I know I'm fine right now, but Jarrod is only four years older than I am, and here he is already more than a year along in dealing with his heart. Hearing what Dr. Merar said about Jarrod hurting himself - I haven't done anything like that to myself, I promise you, Nancy, and I never plan to, but are you sure you understand what could happen? Are you sure about us?"_

Nick finished his letter and went downstairs for drinks before dinner. His mother and Heath were already there, chatting idly. Nick wanted some time with them and was glad they were already relaxing.

He tossed his letter on the table in the foyer, so he'd remember to have someone post it the next day, and went into the parlor, where he poured himself a drink. Heath was saying, "The Pearsons have invited me to dinner Saturday night, so I guess you'll have to keep Nick under control all by yourself."

"Funny," Nick said, not meaning it, as he came and sat down in the chair near the fireplace.

"We'll survive," Victoria said.

"You know, it won't be too long before this house gets very full of people again," Nick said.

"You expect Nancy to still be interested in you even when she sees you more often?" Heath asked.

"Still funny," Nick said and still didn't mean it. "Yes, I do. She's the one."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. "That's the most definite you've been about her. You really think she is the one?"

Nick nodded. "You'll see by Christmas. She really is the one."

Victoria smiled, and even Heath did.

XXXXXXXX

" _September 30, 1880_

 _Dearest Nick,_

 _Let me put your mind at ease first. The fact that you MIGHT have a heart problem someday in the future does not put me off at all. I ache for Jarrod and Maggie, that he has to deal with this at so young an age, but I am not afraid of the possibility that it might happen to you. Like I said before, we women have childbirth to go through. Life can be short for any of us, but that only makes it more precious…_

… _..so, Mr. Claiborne had me sign the contract yesterday, and we should go to settlement in 30 days. Barring any complication, I will be able to move to Stockton in early to mid November. And I can hardly wait!_

 _All my love,_

 _Nancy."_

 _The End_


End file.
